The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

The Black Tortoise of the North usually took the form of a massive turtle with three snake heads and a tail. Its black color and disturbingly odd texture made it distinctly different in appearance from Fire Chicken, which was surrounded by flames, and Rumble, which had blue scales, not to mention Whitey.

Yet this damned creature, which was born from the wishes of the people living in this land and summoned by Davey’s qi, the blessing of Neltarid, and the full energy of Yun Hee-Ryeong, had the audacity to...

‘Bite me?’ Davey reached out his hand and clutched the tongue of the creature that was biting and shaking him about.

-Arghh!! Aarrrghhhhhhhhh!!!

Caught off guard by the pain, the creature opened its mouth wide and struggled, but Davey did not let go; his lips stretched into a chilling smile.

"Why does the great Black Tortoise have such a long tongue, huh?"

-Keeekkkkk!!

"Are you feeling tough? Huh?"

-Keeeeeek!!!

"You've lost your fear, haven't you?"

Tonics like Dragon-Phoenix Soup and Ten Essence Herbal Soup were really great, but the turtle soup made from the Black Tortoise would have a very…different flavor. Yes, the Black Tortoise was a well-known divine beast, but there was something about it that most people didn’t know.

Each of the four Divine Beasts primarily used a specific emotion as the source of their power. For the Vermillion Bird, the source of its power was anger. It grew stronger as its rage flared, a power fitting for a mythical beast that had difficulties managing its anger. Surprisingly, the emotion that empowered the Azure Dragon was actually sorrow. This creature was undoubtedly the most perplexing. For the White Tiger, also called the Beast of the West, the source of its power was joy, and all its haughty and proud foolishness were nothing more than things it took delight in.

And then…there was the problematic aspect. The Black Tortoise’s source of power was satisfaction, and—as Davey had found out—it exhibited extreme tendencies toward masochism.

“…”

The turtle looked like it was expecting more, its expression seemingly demanding to know why its tongue was not pulled harder. The beast would probably shake in excitement even if Davey prepared a pot to cook and eat it.

[Yeah, the Vermillion Bird obtains power from anger, Azure Dragon from sorrow, and White Tiger from joy. I get that. It's natural since they are born from the desires of humans. I understand the others, but I still can't understand the Black Tortoise. But tell me, Davey. How does a Divine Beast born from the desire for satisfaction end up with such perverse tendencies?]

[Ha! It probably takes after you, huh?! Ha!]

[Shut up, you damn drunkard!]

"How are you feeling?"

Davey, turning his gaze away from the Black Tortoise, while Perserque, who looked surprised and disgusted, approached Yun Hee-Ryeong, who was sitting on the ground and desperately gasping for breath.

"I… I can't gather any strength in my body."

"The aftereffects will last for a while. You've burned out all the water energy and qi in you."

Unlike other Divine Beasts, the Black Tortoise had its peculiarities and summoning it was anything but straightforward. So the original plan for summoning the Black Tortoise was to use the Transcendental Magic Sword blessed by the Goddess Freyja, since it allowed anyone to bypass complicated parts of the summoning process of any beast as long as it was not an inherently chaotic being like the Yellow Dragon.

However, Davey still managed to summon the Black Tortoise, with just the blessing of Neltarid and the power of Yun Hee-Ryeong. The advantageous position he had at the moment, a God’s blessing, and the Magic Sword Davey sought urged Davey to also summon the Yellow Dragon. Davey once thought it would be impossible to summon it, but taking a jab at it now seemed to be worth it.

"Kain."

[I'm listening.]

"We can deal with this using the Yellow Dragon's purification ability, right?"

[Elsewhere I cannot say, but in this land, it is possible. Here the Yellow Dragon's power might even equal that of the King of Mythical Beasts you summoned.]

The Mythical Beasts were formidable entities that the Princess of the Abyss would not dare mess with. Davey knew they were not easy to handle, but since he had once faced the Yellow Dragon, he wasn’t too worried about it. Perhaps it was the Yellow Dragon’s violent personality that made its power so formidable.

In the end, Kain was right.

[The most important thing is to prevent her awakening. Resolve that, and nothing else will be problematic.]

Yun Hee-Ryeong’s shivers ceased as her power gradually dissipated. And since training in martial arts and the ability to accumulate qi were vital for her awakening, it now became impossible for her to awaken.

Once the most dangerous factor was removed, what difficulty was there in resolving the issues between the Abyss and Davey? Oedon had gone to great lengths to trap Davey, but it had misunderstood one thing: Humans were easily swayed by transcendental entities. A negotiation was simply a mix of coercion and deceit, and these were Davey’s specialty.

***

The armies of the Countries of Hwan and Yu formed an allied force. It was an effort made solely to catch a single person. However, the elite troops of the Embroidered Uniform Guard were utterly disrupted by the appearance of the three Divine Beasts.

The martial arts world had experienced excessive deterioration after the death of the Heavenly Destroyer.

Many sects isolated themselves, and there were senior martial artists who made numerous excuses to repress and restrain juniors who had reached dangerous levels of power. The restoration of the world could naturally occur over time, but that was not the concern for now.

Hundreds of thousands of troops appeared lost once they reached a vast plain, since they were unable to locate their enemy, who the imperial courts ordered to be found and killed. Meanwhile, General Jo Soon of Hwan and Gu Hwan from Yu brainstormed a strategy to break the stalemate.

"We have an army powerful enough to wage war against nations, and yet we're helpless against a single man..."

Gu Hwan’s remark made Jo Soon frown as he replied sharply, "The one who brought that monstrous being into the martial arts tournament and invited this disaster will be held accountable."

Gu Hwan grimaced. "Look here. I understand that your prince was assassinated, but our Princess Jadeflower, the emperor’s regent, was murdered too! Are you being serious right now?!"

"The fact that he came from a sect of the Righteous Path Martial Alliance does not change."

"What are you trying to say?!"

Despite being in conflict with the same enemy, the internal squabbling between them continued. It was indeed very ridiculous.

Jo Soon dismissed their bickering with a cold remark and gazed at the sprawling map, muttering, "They are difficult to track because they are few in numbers. Even attempting to pursue him is difficult, since we are blocked by those bizarre creatures that have an uncanny resemblance to the Divine Beasts."

The creature that looked like the Vermillion Bird turned its surroundings into a sea of fire. The imitation of the Azure Dragon rained down lightning, and the White Tiger’s replica seemed unimpressive at first glance, but the soldiers who approached it helplessly crumbled to ashes. They were undeniably a serious threat.

Were these the Divine Beasts believed to be benevolent to humanity? If so, why would they assist such a fiend? It didn’t make sense.

A sudden, frantic shout pierced the air while they were lost in perplexed contemplation.

"General!!!" A soldier yelled as he rushed into the tent. "A disaster is happening!!"

The alarmed cry caused the two generals to grimace as they turned their attention to the soldier, and an oppressive air filled the entire tent.

"Ugh!! Ugh..."

"Despicable wretch," Jo Soon angrily called out, seeing the soldier’s state.

Gu Hwan quickly stepped in to restrain him. "This is an urgent report. Withdraw your power."

"Hmph!" With an annoyed expression, Jo Soon did as he was told.

Gu Hwan inquired, "Well, what is it?"

"That... It would be better if you saw for yourselves!"

What could have happened? The two generals cautiously exited the tent, but when they looked at the sky, their expressions morphed into astonishment.

A host of Celestial Maidens dressed like goddesses were slowly descending from the skies, their feathered garments fluttering in the breeze. Following them were the three Divine Beasts the Embroidered Uniform Guards had fought with, and now they were accompanied by the fourth and last, the Black Tortoise. Their presence completely seized everyone's attention so it was simply impossible to look away.

"Good heavens! Are these immortals?"

“Are the immortals really coming to us?!”

The generals were startled, and they were rendered speechless, just like the Embroidered Uniform Guards who didn’t even dare to stop the descending figures.

The Divine Beasts settled as if finding their rightful places. The Vermillion Bird took the south; the Black Tortoise, the north; the Azure Dragon, the west; and the White Tiger, the east. Meanwhile the celestial beings from the Spirit Realm descended gently on the ground with their hands clasped together and their eyes closed. The stories of their existence seemed far-fetched, and yet they now stood before the soldiers in reality.

Approaching cautiously, Gu Hwan stuttered, "Are... are you celestial beings?"

One of the celestial beauties slowly opened her eyes and responded, "Yes, we are, o valiant generals of the mortal realm."

Anabelle’s demeanor was completely unlike her usual self. Looking at her radiant robe-swathed figure felt like witnessing a celestial scroll come to life.

"The Supreme Ruler cannot ignore the malevolent actions plaguing this land and has sent us forth as envoys."

Another woman appeared beside Anabelle, and her mere presence caused the generals and accompanying soldiers to look at her with fascination despite her lack of expression. All of them were so beautiful that the soldiers were enchanted.

Was this the true form of celestial beings? Their arrival was mesmerizing. It was as if they were dancing among the clouds, and the generals no longer doubted their legitimacy, especially after hearing them speak.

"Yet, we were attacked by creatures that seemed like the Divine Beasts!"

"So much blood has been spilled because of those creatures!"

"We deeply regret what happened. Please understand that, with no means of communication, there was no way to resolve the misunderstanding."

Then came the third Celestial Maiden, whose appearance startled the generals. She was enveloped in a striking halo, and her very being commanded attention.

"A Celestial Maiden!"

Their reaction was filled with immense awe and great surprise as if they hadn’t known about the existence of Celestial Maidens before.

The concept of the immortals merited absolute belief in the Heavily Central Plains.

“Look! Their garments look as if they are afloat!”

“Such pure aura…”

“And…”

At that moment, white feathers rained from the sky, and the injured ones started to heal.

“Hmph!”

“Ugh!”

Everyone who was wounded recovered fully, and they were able to stand again.

She really does look like a Celestial Maiden!” They spoke with awe, but the Celestial Maiden at the center, whom they were looking at, was actually Perserque in disguise.

“I agree.”

The Spirit Realm, from which the Celestial Maidens descended, enjoyed absolute trust in the Heavenly Central Plains.

Somewhere in the distance, Davey looked coldly at the figures lying on the ground beside him. “Don’t worry, we’re just borrowing clothes, that’s it. And besides, you have no concern for what happens in the mortal realm, right? Since humans are mistaking you for noble and grand beings, I'll make sure they get a good impression.”

Strictly speaking, the Divine Beasts and the Spirit Realm were separate entities.

The Divine Beasts were born from the wishes of defenseless humans needing help to survive, while those from the Spirit Realm were simply unwelcome guests warded off by Dokgo Jun. In other words, they were nothing more than inconvenient neighbors. The truth was harsh, indeed.